The Church and Steve Jobs

The world is sad this morning at the news of the death of Steve Jobs.  The news is flooded with information about his life and accomplishments.  He was one of the most creative people in modern history.  He had the ability to take a vision and make it reality.  Much of the news is sharing his quotes regarding death.  He spoke often of living as if it was your last day on Earth.  He spoke of finding something you love and focusing on that….doing it well.  One of the quotes I found the most profound is “It’s not the customers’ job to figure out what they need”.

                What I find the most amazing is how much energy and passion one man spent on his dream and what an impact it had on the world.  Imagine if we, as Christians, did the same regarding our faith.  What if the thing/person we loved the most was God?  What if our vision was to see the world aflame with God’s message of love and restoration?  What if we approached each day not only as though it was our last on Earth – but also the last day for the people we encounter during the day?  What if we truly recognized that people do not know what it is that they need…but that we have the answers to their questions before they know what to ask?  Imagine how we could transform the world if we approached life in this way.  We might show more love to our common man, we might be more patient, we might be share our faith more boldy.  If we showed the same excitement about the life changing grace of God we might be surprised at the changes we would see around us.

                The Bible tells us to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  Maybe today…today I will be more creative and bold in sharing my faith.  Today I will answer the questions people don’t know they need to ask.  Today I will love more passionately.  Today I will be a visionary.

Love You More

Love You More: The Divine Surprise of Adopting my Daughter by Jennifer Grant

I first started reading “Love You More” with an expectation that it would be like many other books regarding adoption.  I was pleasantly surprised.  What I found instead was the brutally honest telling of one woman’s journey to adoption.  I was captured by Grants ability to share her own insecurities regarding her mothering skills – both to her naturally born children and her daughter by adoption.  Grant has a way of presenting her questions about her own ability to parent this new daughter that makes the reader relax – seeing a little bit of their own parenting anxieties mirrored in reflections of her journey.

I was especially appreciative of Grants writing on why people adopt, such as infertility, a Christian’s response to the Orphan and Widow, the desire to help the poor and needy, among others.  The author also cautions the reader to be sure they are not adopting from a guilt response or pressure to do more for needy people in the world.  In contrast, the reader is encouraged to truly understand the commitment to love and bond with any child you add to your family.  Grant addresses many different issues faced by adoptive parents including negative reactions from friends, family and even perfect strangers.  

Whether you are interested in adopting or just enjoy a good story of a loving family with a happy ending, this book is highly recommended.

Book Review: Rumors of God

Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard About by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson is a thought provoking read.  The authors discuss several attributes of the life of the Christian – broken down into separate chapters.  I was first intrigued in their chapter about passion for God.  When two young men from another country, who were passionate about their walk with God, came to America they were confronted with the apathetic nature of the church in America.  These two friends purposed to keep their passion for God alive.

In “Rumors of God” the authors break down several areas in which the church is faltering.  The authors look at what the Bible says about each topic and compare the biblical ideal to where we are today as a church.  Although I did not always agree with the authors’ interpretation of various scriptures or their definitions of Christian vocabulary, I was always brought to a place of thinking through each topic (or “rumor”) and evaluating what my own life displayed in each area.  I was challenged to analyze my thoughts and attitudes regarding topics like passion for God, grace, justice, community, etc…

The authors presented historical background for several people groups and events in the Bible that I found very interesting and helpful.  These historical explanations inspired me to research more of world history during biblical times in order to better understand what the thought processes and culture of the time would have been.

The one thing I found frustrating was the lack of scripture reference.  When the authors quoted scripture they often did not include the book or chapter where the scripture was found.  If you are not familiar with the Bible you would need to refer to the index in order to look up scriptures and read the passage for yourself.  There were several passages the authors quoted that I wanted to read for myself in order to read the surrounding verses and get more of a feel for the context.

Overall, I enjoyed “Rumors of God”.  It provided good insight as well as many opportunities for discussion with others.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

Blessing in Action

　 Blessing in ActionA Place Called Blessing by John Trent with Annette Smith takes on a subject matter that rends the heart. Told from the perspective of a young five year old boy one is instantly gripped as Josh and his two brothers endure life as they move from home to home in the foster care system. It is easy to identify with Josh as he struggles to find a place to belong, a place where he is truly wanted and loved. Isn’t that what we all want? Whether you have struggled yourself with the issue of finding that place of belonging or you are a parent who wants to create that place for your children - you will thoroughly enjoy this book. As you walk with Josh as he grows you will find yourself asking hard questions about what we can do for children in this situation. As you follow Josh through adulthood you will find the answers to those questions as you see forgiveness in action, love and acceptance displayed in the lives of ordinary people who see the good and the possibilities in people. “A Place Called Blessing” takes the principles of “The Blessing” (a non-fiction book by John Trent) and displays them in story form. If you are on the fence about reading this book - I highly recommend it.  I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://booksneeze®.com/> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

   

A Reluctant Queen by Joan Wolf

The story of Esther is one that many have re-told.  Joan Wolf tells it as a love story.  A young Jewish girl reluctantly becomes the Queen of Persia in order to save her people from certain destruction.

I was instantly gripped by this story and found it hard to put it down.  I felt for Esther from the first page.  I became attached to her almost as the servants in the story become attached to their queen.  The author takes characters that many know and love from the Bible and gives depth to them.  She made me love Esther from the moment she was introduced.  She made me feel both pity and contempt for Haman (the villain of the story) at the same time.  She made the King of Persia seem more human than I had previously imagined. 

Although the story strays from the Biblical story on several key points, I was able to overlook this as it is common in historical fiction.  Wolf was able to take a story I was very familiar with and made me think about it from a different perspective.  What would make a young girl give up the life she knew and even risk her life for people she did not necessarily know?  That is what this story answers.  I enjoyed finding the answers immensely.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Proverbs 14:1 (NLT)  “A wise woman builds her home, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.”

I read this verse today and it made me think about the meaning of home.

When I envision a home, I picture a warm fire on a cold night.  I picture a family “cozied” up around that fire.  Maybe the children are playing a game or the Mother is reading a story to the children.  There are smiles on each one’s face.  The house is in order and I imagine the smell of freshly baked cookies in the air.  Sigh…

Scan over to my house on any given night and you will probably see a very different scene.  You might see the children playing a game…but they are usually bickering about whose turn it is or even which game to play. The dogs are barking at the wind.  There is laundry all over the laundry room floor (maybe even spilling onto the family room floor).  My husband and I are frantically trying to get the dinner dishes done and the house in enough order that we might be able to get to bed at a decent hour.  This chaos is not necessarily the issue.  The real issue is how I handle the frenzy of the moment.  Oh sure…sometimes I just laugh and “go with the flow”, but more often I am a frazzled jumble of nerves that snap at the least infraction. 

In light of Proverbs 14:1 – I can almost see myself with my work gloves on hammering holes in the walls of my home.  A careless remark to my child may bruise his spirit and make home feel less welcoming.  A snap judgment about my husband’s motives may make him feel unappreciated.  It’s not that I should never correct my children or make my husband aware of my hurt feelings.  It really comes down to my own motives.  Do I correct my children because I love them and want them to grow to be responsible adults or am I more concerned with how their actions make me look to others.  Do I express my concerns to my husband because I want a closer relationship with him and want to be open with him or do I make cutting remarks in an effort to justify my own bad behavior?

I think it might be time to start working on that house.  Maybe add a little extra mortar to the walls.  A few loving words to my husband and children, extra hugs all around, a quick motive check before speaking and a renewed focus on what is really important are in order.  My house may never resemble that family gathered around the fire, but I can build a house filled with love and care.  Who knows…I might even be able to add that smell of fresh baked cookies!  If you happen to stop by my house sometime…just step over the laundry…I’m busy building a home!